Science Department
Academic Year 20 21-2022
Dubai International School-Garhoud
Grade:10
Chapter 5 Section 1
Environmental Science
Class Activity: Critical Thinking Issue
Standard: HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities
on the environment and biodiversity.
Learning Outcomes: I CAN
-Explain the general effect of pollution on the environment.
-Relate the sustainability to the solutions that can be created to limit pollution.
Ahmad samer
Question: 1
As conventional sources of crude oil are depleted, unconventional sources such as oil sands (also
known as tar sands) are being utilized. Oils sands contain bitumen, which can be processed into a
synthetic crude oil. A region of boreal forest in Alberta, Canada, that covers a deposit of oil
sands will be cut and removed during the process of bitumen extraction. It is estimated that the
deposit contains 73 billion barrels of recoverable bitumen. The rate of extraction from the
deposit will be approximately 1 million barrels of bitumen per day.
1. Identify one ecological (related to the ground, land, soil…) benefit, other than
providing habitat, that is provided by forests.
An ecological benefit related to land, soil, and ground other than habitat that
is provided by forests is that they provide us with food, water, shelter, and food
security. Mainly Forests are one of the most important solutions to the effects
of climate change. Approximately 2.6 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, one-third
of the CO2 released from burning fossil fuels, is absorbed by forests every year.
2. Identify one economic (Financial, money) benefit that is provided by forests. An
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.
economic benefit related to money and finance that is provided by forests is that
they can draw the attention of tourists.
3. Describe TWO environmental consequences, other than those related to the loss of
boreal forest habitat, that result from the extraction of bitumen or the transportation
of synthetic oil to customers.
Two environmental consequences, other than those related to the loss of
boreal forest habitat, that result from the extraction of bitumen or the
transportation of synthetic oil to customers are/is water pollutions from the
oil, and the second reason is carbon produced by the machines, (that use oil
and fuel), used to get the bitumen will be produced more excessively.
4. Assuming the above extraction rate, calculate how many days will be needed to
extract the recoverable volume of bitumen from the oil sands. Around 7300 days.
5. Calculate how many years will be needed to fully extract the recoverable volume of
bitumen from the oil sands. Around 200 years.
6. Monthly production of synthetic crude oil is 30 million barrels. Producing one barrel
of synthetic crude oil uses two barrels of heated freshwater. Calculate the number of
barrels of freshwater needed each year to supply this demand. ?
Question: 2
The graph shows measurements of atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide CO2 at Mauna Loa
Observatory, Hawaii, and the measurements of pH levels in the ocean nearby at Station ALOHA.
Measurements of pH began in 1992.
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.
1. Use the graph above to answer the following questions.
a) Determine the concentration of CO2 (in ppm) recorded at Mauna Loa in 2005.
380 ppm (+/-5 ppm) recorded at Mauna Loa in 2005.
b) Determine the pH recorded at Station ALOHA in 2005.
8.08 (+/- 0.02) recorded at Station ALOHA in 2005.
2. Changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide affect Earth’s oceans.
a) Predict the effect of increased concentration of atmospheric CO2 on the
concentration of CO2 in the ocean.
Co2 in the ocean will increase.
b) Based on the data, identify the relationship between the concentration of
atmospheric CO2 and the pH of ocean water.
Co2 becomes more acidic in water and pH goes down when Co2 goes
up.
c) Provide the complete chemical equation that represents the reaction between
oceanic carbon dioxide CO2 and water H2O
-CO2 + H2O = H2CO3
carbon dioxide plus water produces carbonic acid.
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.
-CO2 + H2O = H+ + HCO3 carbon dioxide plus water
produces one hydrogen ion and one bicarbonate ion.
-CO2 + H2O = 2H+ + CO3 carbon dioxide plus water
produces two hydrogen ions and one carbonate ion.
d) Identify the specific environmental problem that directly results from the
decrease in pH of Earth’s oceans. Ocean acidification.
3. Changes in pH in the world’s oceans pose a risk to many marine organisms.
a) Explain why certain organisms, those with calcium carbonate shells or
exoskeletons, are threatened by the decreasing pH levels measured in
seawater.
Decreasing pH levels will:
Stop new shell and coral from growing.
Stop maintenance of the shell and coral. The
exoskeletons would dissolve.
b) Other than threats posed by decreasing pH, identify an additional
anthropogenic threat to the world’s coral reef ecosystems and describe how
the threat damages the coral reefs and coral reef ecosystems.
Pollution, invasive species, fishing practices, ocean temp increasing.
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.
Question: 3
One reason that people visit national parks is to view the scenery. Visibility at the four parks
in the graph has been reduced over time so that by 2015 the visibility was an average of 70
miles less than the historical visibility. Regional air pollutant sources are commonly located
over 100 miles away from national parks.
1. Based on the data provided in the graph, identify the national park that had the
greatest loss of visibility as of 2015 when compared with the historical natural
visibility.
Sequoia National Park.
2. Visibility in national parks can be affected by many different air pollutants.
a) Identify a primary air pollutant.
N2O, CO2, CH4.
b) Describe how a primary air pollutant becomes part of the atmosphere.
The primary pollutants released from fossil fuels.
c) Identify a secondary air pollutant.
H2SO4, O3, NO2.
d) Describe how a secondary air pollutant is formed within the atmosphere.
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.
• When primary pollutants react with other substances, secondary air
pollutants are generated.
• When primary pollutants like NOX and VOCs combine with oxygen in the
presence of sunshine, ozone (O3) is formed.
• When SOX combines with water, sulfuric acid is formed.
• When NOX combines with water, nitric acid is formed.
3. In 1990 Great Smoky Mountains National Park had a visibility of 25 miles. Visibility
data for 2015 can be determined from the graph above.
a) Calculate the percentage increase in visibility from 1990 to 2015 80%
increase in visibility.
b) Discuss TWO specific actions that the state or federal government could
take or encourage to further improve the visibility in Great Smoky
Mountains National Park.
Make traffic limited by making parking fees increased.
Rewards for people who use renewable energy sources.
4. Excluding air pollution, discuss TWO additional ways national park ecosystems are
being degraded by high levels of visitor use.
Noise pollution, Light pollution, Infrastructure damage, Littering.
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DIS Vision: DIS, in partnership with parents and community, strives to prepare every student to be digitally literate, a lifelong learner, and a
productive citizen.
DIS Mission: DIS is committed to provide education following international standards yet adhering to local values and traditions.